KUCHING: Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem symbolically tuned on TEA FM to launch the state’s first Mandarin and English local private radio station at a dinner at KTS Garden here yesterday.

The radio station, jointly set up by KTS Group and Ancom Group, is broadcasting at 102.7 fm in Kuching and 102.8 fm in Kota Kinabalu. Its coverage will be expanded to other major towns in Sarawak and Sabah soon.

Speaking at the launching, Adenan said there was still a niche in the market for radio as a medium of communication despite the advent of television and the Internet.

“I would like to congratulate KTS Group and Ancom Group for the joint venture effort in setting up TEA FM, broadcasting in Mandarin and English.

“TEA FM is a great leap of faith to harness the potentials of radio that is not fully exploited.”

Adenan reminisced that in the old days, besides newspapers, radio was the only source of information for the public, but there had been a full revolution in dissemination of information.

“Today, one of the main medium of communications is still the radio as its greatest benefit is that one can listen to the radio while doing other things.”

The chief minister added that in a globalised world, people still insist on hearing the latest news immediately, and radio can still meet that demand.

“Radio is still relevant although new approaches and strategies have to be adopted to develop and maintain listeners.

“Studies have shown that listeners want to hear something that is near to them. The trend is that they prefer more localised content. Radio can no longer be passive as people want to know and interact with personalities behind the voices.”

Adenan, who is no stranger to the local entertainment world as he was the singer of his own band ‘The Vagabonds’ in his youth, sportingly agreed to sing a few songs on stage.

He revealed that he and his wife, Datin Patinggi Datuk Jamilah Anu, who sang a song earlier, had raised about RM500,000 for charity through their singing recently, and he hoped he could raise more funds with the songs he was going to sing.

He sang three golden oldies: ‘Can’t help falling in love’, `The Young Ones’ and `Blueberry Hill’, much to the delight of the guests at the dinner.

The chief minister seemed pleasantly surprised when KTS Group managing director Dato Henry Lau announced he had raised RM200,000, including RM50,000 from Ancom Group managing director and Redberry Group chief executive officer Datuk Siew Ka Wei, through his songs.